Two parrots stolen from Houston pet store are family pets

Whoever snatched two parrots from Fish and Pets Ranch near Almeda Mall not only stole birds valued at about $1,000 each but also took two beloved family pets.

Buddy and Baby, both Amazon Yellowhead parrots, were stolen sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday from the store at 10100 Kleckley Drive, near Almeda Genoa Road and the Gulf Freeway.

Buddy, a 14-year-old Amazon Yellowhead parrot, has lived with the owners of Fish and Pets Ranch since 2000.

Andy Nguyen, co-owner of the shop with his wife, Julie Hoang, said the break-in happened sometime after they closed about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and before they opened at 11 a.m. Thursday.

“We have a glass door with security bars,” Nguyen said. “They pried open the lock. Somehow they managed to crack open that lock and get inside.”

Alan Tran, Hoang’s son, said in an email that the burglars apparently knew what they wanted and how to get it because they took only the parrots.

The cages the parrots were in were padlocked however the burglar(s) pryed the sides of the cage open and pulled out the parrots. We didn’t see any signs of blood or anything so we are hoping that the two were not hurt in the struggle.

What’s especially said, Tran said, is that Buddy has bonded with Tran’s mother, who has cared for the bird for 11 years.

Parrots only bond to one person basically and they can be heartbroken when they lose their “mate” and die. I’m really angry that this happened because this isn’t just some pet supply or some big ticket item but someone’s loved one. Anyone who is a regular would know that my mother has taken care of and watched over them for years.

Buddy apparently put up a good fight with whoever stole him, Nguyen said.

“Nobody can handle that bird except my wife,” he said. “He gave a big fight because there were a lot of feathers all over the floor.”

Baby, between 2 and 3 years old, also is partial to Hoang, her husband said.

Nguyen said he called other Houston pet shops to ask them to be on the lookout for stolen parrots. One south side owner told him a similar burglary had happened at his store about a month ago, Nguyen said.

And this isn’t the first such incident for the struggling mom-and-pop pet store, Nguyen said. Several years ago, during business hours, someone walked out with an African gray parrot, also an expensive bird.

African grays and Amazon Yellowheads are valued for their intelligence and ability to talk, Nguyen said.

In this case, the family said, they only want to see Baby and Buddy back home.

Anyone with information should call Fish and Pets Ranch at 713-946-2525 or the Houston Police Department at 713-884-3131.